Fearless
by Laugher.Lover.Fighter
Summary: AU, Once Upon A Time and Brave Fic. Princess Emma has been waiting for her whole life to take over the kingdom. Her fate has been decided by her now distant mother and loving father, but she now has a chance to change that fate. With a bethroval to one of the kingdom's men fast approaching, Emma sets out to rewrite her future and save her mother from a dreaded curse and witch.
1. Changing Times

**Fearless:**

_A Brave and Once Upon A Time crossover fic_

**Author's note**:

I decided not to make this a crossover fic so it would hopefully reach more people. However the basic plot is from the movie Brave, and the characters and setting are from the show Once Upon A Time. Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer:**

Although I wish that I owned either the movie Brave, or any character on Once Upon A Time, I don't. Although some of the ideas are mine, the movie and show hold the rights to most of the ideas and the characters.

**Dedications:**

1) SnowandJames4eva: You helped me grow so much as a writer, and definetly helped me come up with a lot of amazing ideas for all these stories. I draw a lot of my inspiration and creativity from your amazing fics, so I wanted to thank you for that. I hope we stay friends, love you girl!

2) OncerSwarekJateBlaze22: You've been reviewing, reading and chatting with me tirelessly, and I can never thank you enough for all the help you've given me. I love each and every one of your fics, and I hope we remain friends :)

3) Other readers: I also wanted to thank so many other writers who have reviewed or read, or just simply looked at my stories. It means a lot to me that you would do that, and I wanted to thank you.

**Other random things:**

I think Taylor Swift says it all in the quote below. Fearless is not about not having fears, but having a lot of them and just believing and hoping. I hope that all the readers remain as Fearless as they are now, and that you never stop writing if you love it enough, or if you just do it for fun. Also this is my first time using a movie (Brave) and writing in first person. Hope you like it, and PLEASE REVIEW!

**Chapter 1-Changing Times**

"_Fearless is not the absence of fear, it's not being completely unafraid. No matter what love throws at you, you have to believe in it. You have to believe in love stories and prince charmings and happily ever after. I think love is FEARLESS."_

–_Taylor Swift_

The hot sun beat down on my heavy head. I lifted it to look at the wooden target, about 30 feet away from me. The white painted rings bore into my mind, but the only spot I could think of was the center. I raised my bow slowly as a single bead of sweat trickled down my brow. I pulled the string back, and let the arrow fly, feeling the rush of the wind as the arrow made its path toward the target.

The arrow made a pleasant smack as it burrowed itself deeply into the center, a bull's eye. I felt myself being lifted into the air from behind, and my face broke out into a smile. "Great shot Em, maybe you could teach me." My father, King James, smiled and winked at me. He let me down gently, and I hugged him around the middle. Although many other princesses would rather have been embarrassed to have their fathers so close to them, my father was one of my best friends, and I couldn't imagine trying to ignore him.

The so-called Fairy Tale Land spread out before us in the deep lush green forest. Our castle could be viewed in the distance, and I felt my heart rush as I thought of when I would take over the kingdom. For now, my father and mother, the Queen Snow White and King "Charming", ruled over the land, although their was a constant fear of Regina,my step grand mother. "Em, quick get on the horse, your mother will go crazy when she finds out how long we've been gone," King James lifted me onto his white horse, and I wrapped my arms around his waist. I smiled as I thought of the day my father and I had, had.

We rode as fast as we could and reached the castle within minutes. My father quickly lifted me down, and we ran inside towards my parents' room. I opened the door to the room slowly, to see my mother brushing my brother Henry's hair. As if by magic, she rose from her chair and turned around to face us. "Henry, you can go," my mother said, her tone firm but loving. Henry ran from the room, smirking and I gave him a light kick as I walked into the room.

My mother's eyes were alight with pain but also love, and I found myself looking anywhere but. James rested a gentle hand on my shoulder as my mother spoke: "Where have you been?" I closed my eyes, sensing the anger in her voice. I wished she could be like she was so long ago, when we used to run into the forest laughing, tackling each other, and her teaching me everything she knew about the forest. Her white dresses would billow out from behind her as she sat down, and I found myself staring with awe at the "fairest of them all." She would tilt her chin towards the sky, her soft features being lightly kissed by the sun, and I had never seen anything more beautiful.

I cut out of the memories, as I opened my mouth but James interrupted me: "Snow, we were just practicing her archery, it's my fault I didn't know," he crossed over to the other side of the room, trying to take my mother's hand lovingly.

"Emma, we will discuss this later, for now, dinner is ready," my mother said adamantly, reaching out to take my father's hand. I rolled my eyes when I had my back turned, and skipped down the stairs to the large circular wooden table filled with food. Usually, when I was supposed to be sleeping, I would sneak down in the dead of night to see my father work on war plans at the table, my mother attempting to reassure him. I wanted so badly to be the one to make those plans, knowing that I was the one protecting the kingdom. My mother would grab my father's hand and he would smile, dip her down, and kiss her. It was then that I would run back to my room, fall asleep, and dream of my own true love.

Henry stuck his tongue out at me as I sat down to eat, and I shot him a daggered look before beginning to eat slowly. My father and mother quickly filed in, and we all sat down to eat together. It was in these rare moments when I truly felt like we were family, though my mother had changed a lot recently. "Sit up straighter Emma," Snow said, before daintily taking her fork and beginning to eat. I straightened my back, but looked at my dad pleadingly.

James cleared his throat loudly, and my mother looked up pointedly. "Snow, Emma and I wanted to go on a sort of hunting party just before the you know, ceremony of the," my father trailed off, and I looked to my mother for her approval.

Snow sighed and looked at me. "Emma, honey, a hunting party really isn't the best thing right now. We need you to get ready for your bethroval! All the eldest members of the three kingdoms are coming, and they will present a son for your own approval." I could feel my mouth open in shock, and bore my eyes on my father, who looked down and suddenly took a deep interest in his chicken.

"But Mother, I don't want to be married. I want to be free, to do what I wish. I don't need a man to run the kingdom, I can do it myself, I promise. And when I do marry, I want it to be for love, true love," I pleaded, but knew it was futile. I felt slight tears in my eyes, knowing not only myself, but also my mother, and the three men who were coming for my hand in marriage would decide my fate.

"Emma, you are choosing one of the three men and that is final," my mother's voice rang in anger, silencing me for a few minutes.

My father tried to reach out and grab my hand, but I refused stepping away from the table. My mother looked at me harshly, but I ran from the room. I lay on my bed upstairs, the sheets blowing in the wind. I heard someone step into the room, but turned, facing away to look out into the starry night. A gentle hand brushed my long blonde hair away from my face, and I turned to stare into the face of my father.

He smiled down at me, than came to sit on my side of the bed. I sat up a little straighter, and tucked my cloak tighter around me. "Emma, I know this whole ordeal has been hard on you. I just wanted you to know, that I will always be there for you. This bethroval is so important to your mother, and she just wants you to be happy," my father ran a single hand through his short hair and smiled warmly at me. I sat closer to him and let him wrap one of his strong arms around me.

"Dad, I know you just want me to be happy, but I don't know why Mother is being like this. I want to make her happy, I just don't want to go through with this bethroval, and I don't understand why she's forcing me into it. She used to be so lively, and warm, and," I felt soft tears fall down my cheeks, and my father quickly brushed them away.

"Ever since Regina has been threatening us with that curse, your mother is just worried is all. Her tough side has come out, and I promise that all she wants to do is protect you. A husband would just be the best thing to protect you even further, for when I can't. I know you'll find true love sweetheart, sometimes you aren't even looking when it comes to you," my father looked down, and I understood his words. Although I hated even the possibility of marrying not for love, I would have to try for my family. "I love you so much Emma," my father leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead before wrapping the blankets to my chin.

I smiled at him, and held his hand one final time before he left. I looked out the window to a full moon and a beautiful reflection on the water, wishing that my father was right, and that I would find my true love. How times had changed, and I made a final wish that they would finally change for the better. The warm wind kissed my cheeks as I closed my eyes, and welcomed dreams of swordfights, family, and a kingdom to call my own.

**Finito! Who will the three mysterious men be? Will Emma find her true love? Will Snow ever be the same again? TUNE IN TO FIND OUT! Not finished with this story yet, there is plenty more to come. Hope you liked this chapter, and that you would like to read more. Leave a review if you can, and hope you liked it!**


	2. Pompous Princes

**Fearless:**

_A Brave and Once Upon A Time crossover fic_

**Author's note**:

I decided not to make this a crossover fic so it would hopefully reach more people. However the basic plot is from the movie Brave, and the characters and setting are from the show Once Upon A Time. Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer:**

Although I wish that I owned either the movie Brave, or any character on Once Upon A Time, I don't. Although some of the ideas are mine, the movie and show hold the rights to most of the ideas and the characters.

**Dedications:**

1) SnowandJames4eva: You helped me grow so much as a writer, and definitely helped me come up with a lot of amazing ideas for all these stories. I draw a lot of my inspiration and creativity from your amazing fics, so I wanted to thank you for that. I hope we stay friends, love you girl!

2) OncerSwarekJateBlaze22: You've been reviewing, reading and chatting with me tirelessly, and I can never thank you enough for all the help you've given me. I love each and every one of your fics, and I hope we remain friends :)

3) Other readers: I also wanted to thank so many other writers who have reviewed or read, or just simply looked at my stories. It means a lot to me that you would do that, and I wanted to thank you.

**Other random things:**

I think Taylor Swift says it all in the quote below. Fearless is not about not having fears, but having a lot of them and just believing and hoping. I hope that all the readers remain as Fearless as they are now, and that you never stop writing if you love it enough, or if you just do it for fun. Also this is my first time using a movie (Brave) and writing in first person.

**Chapter 2: SnowandJames4eva deserves an award for being such an amazing friend and writer, but also for coming up with some ideas in this chapter. Love ya girl!**

**Let's get ready for some fluff! Sorry if you guys don't like romantic scenes, this doesn't have an excess of fluff, but just enough to keep it romantic. Hope you still like the story, and there is plenty more to come. Hope you like it, and PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Chapter 2-Pompous Princes**

"_Fearless is not the absence of fear, it's not being completely unafraid. No matter what love throws at you, you have to believe in it. You have to believe in love stories and prince charmings and happily ever after. I think love is FEARLESS."_

–_Taylor Swift_

I grimaced as my mother pulled the laces in the bodice of my dress even tighter. I braced my hands on either side of the mirror, nearly gasping at the tightness of the corset. I wanted to turn around and beg my mother to let me change, but moving was made rather impossible. Snow looked at me with partial anger glaring in her eyes as she saw me grimace: "Emma don't grimace, it's not ladylike." She finished by adding a ridiculous clothed wrap on my head, and all my hair tucked into it. My mother's eyes shone with tears, and it took effort not to roll my eyes.

I gazed at myself in the full-length mirror, and it took strength not to rip off the pink lacy, full-length ball gown my mother had shoved me into. I heard a faint knock on the door, and my mother and I turned to see my father in the doorway, looking on at my dress. I could see him suppress a laugh, and felt my face break out into a smile. "Emma, you look beautiful," James concluded, his face a tight smile as he put his hand on my shoulder. My mother took me by the hands, and I was forced to look into her eyes: "Emma, it's time to find your true love. A bethroval is the most important event in a young women's life."

I let go of her hands quickly and walked down the old wooden steps and into the Grande ballroom, where on a small wooden platform were three thrones. I sat in the one furthest from the entrance on the side of the castle, wanting to be almost unseen. My father and mother quickly filed in, and my father sat down beside me, giving me a small smile.

The three various kingdoms men filed in, a bustle of voices and ruckus that my mother was clearly displeased at. Her face automatically brightened when she announced to bring in the Kings and their eldest sons. King Gepetto, Albert and Thomas filed in; each shooting each other glares as they led their sons by the shoulders. The sons were pushed forward and I rolled my eyes, as they all remained bowed. "Would each son step forward in turn and say an opening statement to my daughter?" Snow asked while keeping her eyes locked on me, a mix of love, sadness and honor in her eyes.

King Gepetto ushered his son forward, whom I had to admit was good looking, unfortunately. His brown hair was cut close to his face, much like my father's and his eyes were a bright green, framing his almost still baby like face. He had clearly been under strain for this competition, as his eyes were heavily ringed, and his muscles appeared to sag. "I hail from the Kingdom of Weald, and my father is King Gepetto. I come seeking your daughter's hand in marriage," his voice was soft, and the king gave him a clear shove to act stronger. "My name is August, and much like the month I was named after, I have a fiery personality. I boast the highest capable rowmanship in all the land, and have been known to be a great leader in battle. Your daughter would be in very capable and strong hands," with this, August flexed his bicep and his kingdom's men cheered. I sighed and supported my head with my hand, bored already by the stuck up men.

King Thomas did not even lay a hand on his son before he burst out from the crowd, and came painfully close to the stage. The son was also good looking, with longer hair, made blonde by the sun, and chiseled features. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mother glare at me, and I knew that this choice would be one of the hardest I ever made. My father leaned in towards me, his breath hot on my cheek and whispered: "I think Ember is all brawn and no brains."

I covered my mouth and stifled a laugh, looking into my father's blue eyes gratefully. He reached out and squeezed my hand in reassurance, as my mother shot us a daggered look. "Ember is my personal name, although you probably knew that already. I hail from the Kingdom of Relic! I shall vanquish any beast, monster or demon you throw at me, because I am no doubt the strongest, and," he trailed a hand through his hair, "the most good looking the kingdoms have to offer." He waved his velvet maroon cape with a flourish, sending his men into a frenzy of cheering.

The final son was pushed forward, and I nearly gasped in recognition. The son lifted his head towards me, his light brown curls falling into his eyes, and I knew although he looked much older, that the son was my child hood friend Graham. Graham's kingdom had fallen on hard times when he was but a boy of 10 years and I had not seen him since. The feelings I had had for him were only amplified when I looked right into his chocolate brown eyes, and felt a slight blush tint my cheeks. He smiled the crooked smile that I loved so much as a child, and began his speech much quieter then the others.

"Your Majesties, I come before you because I would like for our two kingdoms to come together over the marriage between myself and your daughter. I have many talents yes, but those pale in comparison to the many traits I see in your daughter. I see a kind, compassionate, brave young woman, who I would find an honor to call my wife. I see a young woman who is fearless. My name is Graham, and I hail from the Kingdom of Czar under the rule of King Albert," cheers echoed around the room, but the only thing that echoed in my mind were the words Graham had just spoke. Did he really mean them, or were they just for show for my parents? Graham was scolded slightly by his father, but he tore his eyes off his father's angry glare to give a small smile to me.

I felt the blush in my cheeks deepen slightly, and was thankful when my mother began to speak again. "For our first competition we will be performing," my mother spoke in a clear commanding tone, but I interrupted her, yelling out over the men's continued ruckus.

"Archery! I choose archery!" I sat up in my chair, grinning as the crowd fell silent waiting for a reaction from either of my parents. I turned to see my mother clench her hands into fists but before she could speak my father jumped up saying: "It has been decided, the first competition for my daughter's hand will be archery! This will be followed by an escorted trip with each son and my daughter. Let the feast begin!"

The men quickly sat down at their long tables, and my father went to speak to each one in turn. He gestured wildly, smiling and told stories about his various hunting expeditions. My mother was quickly pulled in, and I smiled as I watched her relax for the first time that evening.

The feast wore on, and I could see my mother pulling herself away to talk to me at the head table. I quickly pushed myself up and ran for the nearest door, not realizing I had stepped into a dimly lit cupboard. I pulled the creaking door shut, and watched through the crack as my mother gave up her search and rejoined my father. I felt myself relax until a hand grabbed my shoulder.

My eyes widened, and I was about to scream when suddenly a sweaty hand clamped over my mouth and whirled me around. I kicked at the assailant, but he merely let me go, laughing. It was then that I recognized his laugh, and saw his face more clearly.

"Graham, you scared me half to death! What the hell?" I smacked him on the arm, and was appreciative of the low lighting to hide my already heated face.

"That's so like you Emma, forever a fighter. Don't you remember when we were kids and we would have sword fights and run off playing prince and princess? You were a fighter then too, beat me every time." Graham winked, shaking his head at my expression of reminiscing on old times.

"Why are you in here anyway?" I crossed my arms against my chest, again ungrateful as I felt the dress tighten around me.

"To get away, from all this responsibility and rules. My father needs me to have your hand in marriage or our kingdom will crumble. We've run out of money, and there's just no way to," Graham stopped short, and I almost saw tears in his eyes. I reached for his hand, ignoring my quickening heartbeat.

"I came to get away too, Graham. It's okay to be frightened about your future. Someone once told me that true love is sometimes waiting around the corner, and you don't even know where it will come from or when. The only problem is with all these pompous princes waiting for my freaking hand in marriage I doubt that I'll find a real true lo-"

Graham cut me off, capturing my lips in a kiss. I did not know how to react, and welcomed the on rush of feelings I had suddenly. I threw my arms around his neck, pulling him even closer, feeling his arms tuck around my waist. We fit together, like puzzle pieces, and I took this as a sign. My face flushed as he attempted to deepen the kiss, but I stopped him, keeping my lips planted firmly on his. I had embarrassingly never had a first kiss before, although I was now a young woman. Graham had kissed me once, on the cheek, when I declared myself a princess in our kingdom of trees, and even then, the heat I felt in my body was unmatched by any other time other then whenever Graham was in close proximity. Suddenly, Graham pulled away, taking a much needed break. His bangs clung to his forehead, and I smiled as I tucked one stray lock of hair behind his ear. His eyes darted to the door in the cupboard, and I felt my heart drop.

"I just needed to do that once. To see if I still felt the way I did as a kid, and luckily for you," he swung open the door, but ensured I was out of sight. "I feel the exact same way you do." I partially felt my mouth gape open as he left the cupboard, going over to his men and joining the party as if he had never left. I felt an easy smile coat my face, and leaned back against the solid brick. Perhaps now, the decision I had feared for so long would be a little bit easier.

**BOOM! Bet you guys didn't see that one coming! So the three kingdoms are: The Kingdom of Weald (which means wooded country, get it?) and their king is Gepetto, and the son is August. The kingdom of Relic (which is another synonym for ashes, again trying to make it relevant) with their King Thomas and Queen Cinderella, who have the son named Ember (which is a synonym for cinder apparently, I get pretty into my fics sometimes.) Lastly we have the Kingdom of Czar (which is another word for king) under rule of King Albert (also means king) and the eldest son is Graham. **

**Will Graham and Emma's feelings continue and flourish? Who will win the archery contest? And Snow's evolution from sweet to strict is (hopefully) revealed! Sorry for boring you with this long authors note, but I hope it explains some things. Anyway, hope you liked it and please review!**


	3. A Different Kind Of Princess

Chapter 3-A Different Kind of Princess

**Author's note**:

I decided not to make this a crossover fic so it would hopefully reach more people. However the basic plot is from the movie Brave, and the characters and setting are from the show Once Upon A Time. Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer:**

Although I wish that I owned either the movie Brave, or any character on Once Upon A Time, I don't. Although some of the ideas are mine, the movie and show hold the rights to most of the ideas and the characters.

**Dedications:**

1) SnowandJames4eva: You helped me grow so much as a writer, and definetly helped me come up with a lot of amazing ideas for all these stories. I draw a lot of my inspiration and creativity from your amazing fics, so I wanted to thank you for that. I hope we stay friends, love you girl!

2) OncerSwarekJateBlaze22: You've been reviewing, reading and chatting with me tirelessly, and I can never thank you enough for all the help you've given me. I love each and every one of your fics, and I hope we remain friends :)

3) Other readers: I also wanted to thank so many other writers who have reviewed or read, or just simply looked at my stories. It means a lot to me that you would do that, and I wanted to thank you.

**Other random things:**

I think Taylor Swift says it all in the quote below. Fearless is not about not having fears, but having a lot of them and just believing and hoping. I hope that all the readers remain as Fearless as they are now, and that you never stop writing if you love it enough, or if you just do it for fun. Also this is my first time using a movie (Brave) and writing in first person.

**Chapter 3: SnowandJames4eva deserves an award for being such an amazing friend and writer, but also for coming up with some ideas in this chapter. Love ya girl!**

**Written while listening to: Come Home by: OneRepublic ft. Sara Bareilles, You Could Be Happy by: Snow Patrol, We All Need Saving by: Jon McLaughlin and Landslide by: Brianna Carpenter. (Listen to some while you read if you want, might help capture the emotions better!)**

**I'm upping the ante a bit, with a higher rating for some depressing scenes and hopefully intense moments later on, and possibly some minor swearing here and there. Hope you like it and reviews=awesome!**

* * *

Chapter 3-A Different Kind Of Princess

The sun beat down on the valley, stretching out to encompass everything. I sat under a shaded area upon a plush throne, beside my father and mother, waiting for the archery contest. I sighed, visibly bored as the men practiced over and over, their arrows making pleasant smacking sounds against the wooden targets. Graham looked over at me and smiled, then with a look of fierce determination, shot an arrow right into the center ring. I beamed and he smiled the crooked smile that I loved, causing my cheeks to flush pink. My father hit me on the shoulder and laughed at my expression. "Seems like you've got an admirer," he said, tilting his chin towards Graham. I smiled to myself, looking over at my father's toothy grin and laughing. Suddenly my mother raised her hand, signaling that it was time for the contest.

"Each man will have one shot towards a wooden target. The one with the arrow closest to the center will win," her words were short and clipped, clear authority dripping from them. August was brought forward, and he looked confused down at his arrow. He attempted to bring his arm back in a straight line, and I found myself holding my breath as his arrow made its way toward the target. I blew out the breath as the arrow landed near the fourth ring, clearly out of contention. A feeling of guilt washed over me, as the King yelled at his son, embarrassed by his lack of archery skills. I smiled over at August's face in reassurance, but he merely turned away from me and looked down at the ground.

Ember pushed his way through the crowd, and smiled arrogantly towards me. I felt myself sigh deeply again, bored by his ego. Ember drew back his arm, focused solely on the target ahead of him. A bead of sweat trickled down his brow, as he let the arrow fly. I felt my mouth drop open when I saw where it had landed: directly in the center. Ember's face lit up with a smile, and he was picked up by his fellow kingdom's men. They cheered, but I was still taken aback at his perfect shot. Ember blew a kiss to me, and it took effort not to roll my eyes at him. My father laughed deeply, and I found my face lighting up again.

Graham walked with slight hesitation forward, barely even looking at his bow as he flashed me his crooked smile. He lined up his arrow, drawing the string back as he let out a single breath. I could barely breathe as I opened my eyes to see where the arrow had landed. My shoulders slumped as I saw that the arrow had landed merely an inch away from Ember's. Graham dropped his head in practical shame and turned on his heel towards his men, the entire crowd silent for a moment. Ember's men burst into cheers at the obvious winner, hoisting him high above his competitor's. Gepetto and Albert 's deep frown lines showed their disdain at their own son's lack of archery skills. I saw Graham try to move towards the platform, but he was instantly grabbed by the shoulder by Albert who began speaking in hush, tense tones.

My mother began making her way towards the front of the platform, smiling widely at Ember. Before she could speak a word, I picked up my father's bow and set of arrows and ran across the field, the wind whipping through my hair. I drew back my arm and fired an arrow at the first target, an easy bullseye. I repeated the action twice more, my anger growing with each sound of the arrow hitting the target. As I came to the final target, my eyes darted across the crowd and to the platform. The men looked to be in total shock, Ember's eyes were alight with rage. Graham grinned at me, and I smiled back until I saw my mother's face. Her expression was a mix of pain, anger and frustration, and her eyes gleamed with tears. I felt terrible for betraying her like this, but I would not stand by while my fate was decided by anyone but me.

I held my bow up with purpose, as the wind blew through my hair. The arrow easily fit onto the string and I pulled it back, my eyes locked on Ember's arrow. I let the arrow fly, and watched as it made it's way towards Ember's. The sound of wood splitting pierced the air as my arrow broke through Ember's, the wood spilling onto the grass. My arrow now replaced Ember's, the clear winner in the center. I felt tears spill from my eyes as I realized what I had done. The challenge had now been ruined, and it was all my fault. I looked to the platform where my parents were both standing, arguing. My mother gestured wildly, and using quiet but clearly angry tones. My father was attempting to grab her and reassure her, but she began making her way towards me, eyes wild.

I began running, not bothering to look back as I threw my bow to the ground. There was no point of fighting, when they could just let me decide my own fate. I wanted to be free of responsibility, the decision, and my parents for awhile. I ran to my father's horse and hoisted myself on before galloping away. I turned just in time to see my father stop running after me, and across his face was written one emotion: hurt. I wiped this from my mind as the horse picked up speed, bringing me to the place I always went when I was upset, the old troll bridge.

Though the trolls were now gone, I would never forget my father's tales of how he met my mother, battling the trolls to get back his mother's ring, and winning much more then a simple battle. They had won each other's hearts. Tears ran faster down my face as I stood next to one rock wall, looking into the black abyss. I thought of how disappointed my father had looked, and how angry my mother had been.

Suddenly, I knew what I had to do. Although it pained me, I climbed up onto the top of the small wall, clutching onto a wooden beam for support. I thought of all the things I had done wrong, how angry my mother and father were, and how I could not choose my own future. The hurt would never end, and I knew this sadness would envelope me for much longer then I could endure. The last thing I thought of before I prepared myself to jump was Graham. I had fallen for him as a mere child, but I knew there was much more then childish feelings between us. The kiss had been my one and only, and I would not have wanted it any other way.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed my own, and I tried to wrench it free, sobbing hard as I turned around to look into the face of my father. His face portrayed immense sadness, as he lifted me down to the bridge ground.

"Oh, Emma," he began, but I did not want to hear another word as I buried myself into his chest, letting all my tears find his red, velvet jacket. "Dad, I c-can't do it, I can't let someone else decide my fate. It's not," I continued to cry as I gripped onto his back, never wanting to let go. "Emma, look at me," my father said, tilting my chin up with his hand.

"I love you so much. You should never feel like you have to measure up to what your mother expects or what I expect. I don't have expectations for you Emma, because you are already the most perfect little girl I could have ever asked for. I know you feel like we are controlling your fate, but I want you to follow your heart as much as you can, because you deserve true love Emma," my father's eyes teared up as he spoke, hugging me harder.

"Dad, I'm so sorry. I never should have even thought to jump, it just seemed easier. Easier then having this responsibility and rules and Mother always thinking I'm not good enough. I don't understand why she became so different, she's changed so much, and she just doesn't understand me anymore." I looked up at my father, but continued to stay in his embrace, finding safety there.

"Emma, I feel like you should know this now. You know better then anyone that your mother has clearly not been the same lately. There are honestly more then one reasons why, but you must remember that it is not your fault." My father cleared his throat, and I pulled away slightly, holding his hands as I waited eagerly for his explanation on why my mother was now so different.

"I can't tell you the day when your mother began acting differently. I used to bring her flowers every morning, and then one day, I looked her right in the eyes as I walked up to her. The light was gone Emma, that light that had shone so brightly with love and happiness was just gone. She had been with a child at the time, Doc told us that day that she had had a miscarriage. I had found her on the bathroom floor, and I knew when she lifted her head from the lid of the toilet, the tears streaking down her face. So I just held her and told her everything was going to be okay, even though I had tears falling into her hair as I said it. That was one of the hardest things your mother ever went through, and all I could do was try to be there for her. You were so young, and Henry had not been born yet, so we could not tell you. I remember you came bounding into our room later in the day, smiling breathlessly because you had been running around with Graham. Your mother tried and stayed strong and told you everything was fine, so we went along with this lie for a long time, knowing we could not hurt you. Something changed in Snow that day, it was as if she blamed herself for the loss of our child, but we had Henry and a bit of the light came back but the problems continued to stack themselves onto each other. Our kingdom was making its way towards poverty, her father's money almost run out. This continues to this day, and I keep trying to repay it by finding other kingdoms to help. Regina has also been threatening us more then usual, ranging from her taking me away to killing you and Henry. I will never let that happen, but Snow can't stop blaming herself for letting it happen. I try to remind her how much I love her, and how we can overcome it but she can't stop blaming herself for any little problem that we're faced with. Snow didn't think we were going to have another chance with a child, so you were our biggest concern. For some reason, I think Snow expects you to be the perfect daughter, because you were our first child and she didn't think another child would come along until Henry. But she loves you Emma, you must never forget that. And I want you to know that at the end of this bethroval, I want you to pick a man who you know you are in love with, your true love, and not someone your mother wants, or I want, or anyone other then you. " My father was rather breathless after his confessions, and I found my mind racing. I had no idea how much my mother had gone through, and a mix of emotions went through me as I held my father's hand. He stroked his thumb across my cheeks, catching the last of my tears.

Suddenly, I was hoisted into the air, and my father laughed as he threw me onto his back. I laughed and linked my hands around his neck, happy to have one person who would always be there for me, no matter what would come. But I knew in this moment I would try my hardest to forgive my mother, and make her understand that I still loved her and that I needed to make my own decisions.

"You're a different kind of princess there Princess" my father chuckled as I hit him on the head, laughing as we walked into the forest towards our castle. The same path that my parents had parted ways on, so many years before. I felt like I was parting ways with my old self, and becoming a new and hopefully better daughter and person.

* * *

My father let me down outside his room, and pushed the door open. My mother sat at the balcony, gazing at the stars. She rose when she heard us walk in, and slammed the door to the balcony shut as her voice broke through the silence: "Where the hell have you been?"

"We were at the bridge, I'm really sorry Mother I shouldn't have left," I began to feel tears forming in my eyes, but tried to stay strong through what I knew would be a long confrontation.

"You're right you shouldn't have, so why, after everything in the contest did you just go? And James why did you let her go?" my mother stood near us, eyes alight with pain as my father tried to speak.

""Snow, I" my father was cut off by my mother's harsh glare as she stared at the both of us.

"This fight is not with you James," my mother concluded, and I could feel her eyes baring into me.

"Mother, why should we even be fighting? My choice on who to marry should be my own, not influenced by anyone. Why can't you understand that? And I know" I crossed my arms defiantly, knowing I should be trying to stop the fight. But the anger in me kept building, as I strode towards my mother. I stopped short a few feet from her, being able to read every emotion that flickered across her face.

At first, the words did not seem to register, but my mother's eyes quickly filled, and her face fell. "You know what?" she asked anyway, and I felt myself snap before launching into a tirade of angry words.

"I know about everything. Regina, the kingdom, your miscarriage. Dad told me, right when I was about to jump off the troll bridge." I stopped short to catch my breath, seeing the immense hurt that crossed my mother's face as she registered my near death. I kept up with the words, pouring my heart out and feeling my voice rise with each passing moment.

"That's right, I was going to end my life because I could not deal with your constant need for me to be perfect, or the sadness that was weighing me down each day, or not being able to decide my fate. I know you want me to be perfect, and I try. I will always try to please you because you're my mother, and I have to. But Dad convinced me not to jump, and I'm glad I didn't. Because now I can come in front of you and say that you will not decide my fate for me. No one decides my fate but me. I will choose who I want, and I don't care about fame or riches or power, I care about love and light. The light that you used to have in your eyes Mother so long ago, it's gone. You don't smile as much, and I know you have been through a lot but you cannot blame me for all your problems. I can't be perfect and I can't be the woman you want me to be. And you know what? I hate you. I hate you because you don't see that I will NEVER be the person you want me to be, I'm just me as I am. I hate you because despite all of Dad's attempts to bring you closer to our family, you push him away. If you just let people in again, you would be much happier, and maybe you could be the person you used to be. But I think she may be gone forever, and this new person you've become? I hate her." I felt lighter to have taken the weight off my heart, but terrible for the things I had said. And even more terrible because I meant every word. My mother's face was a range of emotions, but hurt played the biggest part, quickly replaced however, by anger.

I did not see the hand coming as Snow slapped me across the face. I gasped and clutched my now stinging face. She looked ready to burst into tears but instead used her authorative voice to say: "Young lady, I have heard enough. You will do as you are asked because you have a duty, to these people, your kingdom and your family. I will decide your fate because I know better then you the consequences of your decision. You will continue with this bethroval, and I will see to it that you marry the man I want you to, if it is the last thing I do."

I ran at these words, seeing my father consoling my mother and again looking to me with hurt and a hint of pride in his eyes. I knew he still respected me, but my words had broken my mother, and I. I collapsed on my bed, unable to believe that despite everything, my mother would still decide my fate. I felt my eyes closing at the exhaustion from the emotions from the day, and the last thing I thought of before I shut my eyes was the single tear that had slipped down my mother's cheek when I had finished my speech, a tear that was shed as she realized that she may never be the same person as before.

* * *

**Ta da! Now I know it was a tad depressing, but hear me out. I wanted to show how much Emma's character is developing, and how anybody can fall on hardships it's just in getting through the tough times may make you stronger and a better person. I hope you liked the explanation of why Snow is so strict now, and the little father daughter talk that was had. Ember's date is first, so hope you stick around for the next chapter! Will Snow ever be the same again? Is Ember really as bad as Emma thinks? Will Charming be able to break down his wife's wall? Please review, and thanks for reading!**


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